Well, it sure was interesting out there this afternoon. I left my office at 12th and F at roughly quarter after noon. I headed up 14th St. to I, then I over toward Washington Circle, then to K st. to grab either the Whitehurst Expressway or 66 outbound. Oy. It was one pm before I was even close to the Roosevelt Bridge, then a good half hour before I was able to get off in Courthouse to fill up at Our Lady of Chevron.

I ended up stuck just north of the Chevron on Wilson, but I was able to inch my way up the hill when a nice serviceman came to my aid and helped push my car up the hill. I wasn’t the only one having trouble, many cars were ill-prepared for the snow-covered streets in Rosslyn. So, it seems, was Arlington County, unable to treat the roads, despite the threat of snow, the forecast of snow, and the ACTUAL snow that began falling around 10:30. It wasn’t until I hit Glebe Road that I saw any evidence of roads being treated, and even so, that was one pass of the salt trucks.

In Fairlington, I was pleasantly surprised to see most of the roads cleared, and sidewalk sweeps under way by 3pm. At least my condo fees are being well spent!

How bad was your trip around town?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Apparently, there was a two century old law in Virginia that considered sex outside of marriage a Class Four Misdemeanor. But, thankfully, that’s been overturned in court, as on Friday it was struck down as unconstitutional. This law, however, is unrelated to the sodomy law that is still on the books making that blowjob you got in the bathroom at Whitlow’s still a misdemeanor. Best not to tell anyone about that.

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It isn’t news to anyone that Infinity is a low down bunch of slimy bastards, but it seems that the demise of WHFS left a lot to be desired, even by their standards.

According to my sources, the station manager only found out about the changeover twelve hours before it happened, and most of the sales staff and talent found out about an hour before the switch was flipped and HFS became El Zol.

If you are a fan of The Junkies in the morning (in my humble opinion, the most godawful radio morning program since the ill-fated morning team at the classic rock station I listened to in Sacramento in the early 90s) it seems they’re working on a deal to take them back from whence they came to WJFK.

More details as I get them.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

WHFS signed off the air today at noon. The station has been sold off by Infinity to a Spanish Broadcasting company and will redebut at El Zol 99.1 in the Tropical format.

This is the end of an Era right here. HFS started back in the late 60s as an alt-rock station and really helped redefine the genre of alternative music in the 1990s. Their HFStival was frequently a big part of my summers here, going to see two of them in 2000 and 2002, the year Eminem headlined and nearly caused a riot.

Worst thing about it is that no one saw it coming. My friends in the music industry are trying to gather up some details, and we hope to post them here soon.

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As part of the security measures on Metro, some Metro Police are using behavioral profiling techniques as they patrol subway stations, including, “The officers are targeting people who avoid eye contact,”

Hi. This is reality, calling for the Metro Police? Most people avoid eye contact on the Metro. Especially when you’re squeezed in so tight that you can definitely tell that the girl in cute boots hasn’t showered, and the dude with the Rolex put too much shoe polish on. Eye contact is such a no-no in Metro etiquette. As for the loitering thing, if you guys actually ran trains on a reasonable schedule, we wouldn’t have to wait thirty minutes for an Orange Line train on Sunday, or for three trains to go by during rush hour at Pentagon…

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The Washington Post is reporting that Virginia is considering removing the exemption. Honestly, I think this is one of the reasons that I’d really buy a hybrid vehicle, to get around the HOV-3 requirement on 395 and the restrictions on 66. The exemption is scheduled to expire in 2006, but had previously thought to be easily renewed by the state.

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No one is really talking yet about just what’s going to be closed for the Inauguration, and this is beginning to bother Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton. She’s gone to meet with Dept. of Homeland Security.

Apparently they’re planning to close parts of downtown to traffic. They just haven’t decided what parts yet.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

This entry’s for all of the young professionals out there who want their hair cut. DC’s a tough town for the art of the barber. When I first moved here 4 years ago, I went in search of a decent barber shop. Not a salon, not a stylist, but a real, honest to God barber. It took me months to find a place that I liked. I settled on a guy named Charlie over on H St. by the World Bank. But one day, I went in for my haircut, and Charlie’s chair was empty, his marine sticker and picture of his family gone. I asked, but they said he’d just up and left one day.

Dejected, I settled on the Clarendon Barber Shop over by Lazy Sundae in Clarendon, but eventually haircuts were taking longer and longer, costing more and more. I’ve been on an eight month search for a real barber and it wasn’t until lunchtime today I found one: Rafael Rodriguez. Tucked into a shop in the middle of the first floor of International Square, across from the bank, there is his chair in Jose’s Barber Shop.

Rafael is an artist. His clippers were barely noticeable as they sheared off my 2 months’ growth, his scissors swift and precise, and his eye impeccable. He ever gave me a nice beveled sideburn, which is a pretty neat trick to get even. Best yet, he sped me through in 20 minutes. All for $20. Not a bad use of a twenty-spot. He sure bought my allegiance.

Sure, he’s no Charlie, but barbers like Charlie are a rare commodity. Nobody uses a straight razor to do your neck and sideburns anymore. Nobody keeps a good scalp massager on hand. These are things that have become antiques and eschewed in favor of a metrosexual who “styles” your hair, uses highlights, and uses copious “product”.

Give me a barber, any day of the week. Thanks Raphael for a great cut, I’m glad you’re here!

See also: Haircut photo

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Three new members of the DC Council were sworn in yesterday at the DC Convention Center. Kwame Brown (D-At Large), Vincent Gray (D-Ward 7) and Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) were sworn in by DC Superior Court Judge Mitchell-Rankin yesterday in a major DC Fete. Barry was said to say: “I’m a fighter. When you look in the dictionary and look up the word ‘courage,’ you see my picture.”

Mr. Mayor, that’s not the only word your picture is by.

Please also see page 531 for crackhead, page 691 for irresonsponsible liar and page 1031 for drug-addled jackass.

Oh, and page 3 of the gossip column for “Bitch set me up.“

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Coming to the DC area on the 18th of January, your favorite TV chef and mine (well, mine anyway): Alton Brown!

AB will be at the Clarendon Barnes & Noble at noon on the 18th, and the Bailey’s Crossroads Borders at 7:30 PM for signing, Q&A and general kitchen geekery. Get all the details here.

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Is it possible that DC might get baseball after all?

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WASHINGTON – Authorities at Metro are reporting a person is trapped under an Orange line train at the Metro Center station in the District.

— Via WTOP News.

This sounds deeply deeply unpleasant. I took the Metro over to Farragut West today and the trains were running slowly, I’m amazed no one’s been killed.

[Update]

Blue and Orange line service has been suspended between Federal Triangle and Farragut West due to the earlier incident of a person struck by a train.

Becoming glad I drove today.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Dude. It is butt-ass cold out there.

Sean, are there any openings at blogging.la? Please? It’s just too cold for this Californian to take.

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A little something we’ve been working on to entertain you, our beloved readers.

The Twelve Days of Christmas in DC

On the twelfth day of Christmas that I spent in DC….

Twelve metbloggers blogging*
Eleven drunk Hill interns
Ten streets a-closing
Nine trains a-crashing,
Eight snipers sniping,
Seven protesters protesting,
Six monuments jutting,
Five traffic tickets!
Four AOL nerds
Three squabbling bus drivers
Two raging bums
and they lit the National Christmas tree!

*Actually, there are 13 of us, but we ran out of verses.

Also, be sure to see the 12 Threads of DC’s Craigslist.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Explosion junkie? Looking for a good loud time?

Tomorrow at 7:30, they’re imploding the old convention center.

I for one welcome the destruction of this eyesore.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

There’s now an Official Campaign to Recall Linda Cropp.

Now, the path to a recall is no cakewalk, they’d have to get 10% of the DC electorate, plus another 10% of people in 5 of the 8 wards, to oust her. But, really, I expect we could find that many baseball fans in our number.

DROP CROPP!

In interest to equal shares of time, there is also a website (with a sincerely great name) against publicly funded stadiums that is covering this very same issue, Field of Schemes.

NO BASEBALL!

(Really, we’re doing our best to represent both sides, and yes, it’s deeply killing me to write the above phrase.)

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Dear Anti-Bush protester type people:

I realize that you are especially discontented with the outcome of this election, and feel that as a result, you must protest at the inauguration. Democracy thrives on the presence of many voices, so good for you. Dress warmly, and wear layers. But I have one simple request.

Don’t be assholes.

Oh yes, I realize that you have a Constitutionally-protected right to be assholes, but just because you CAN doesn’t mean you SHOULD. On Inauguration Day, thousands upon thousands of people will be trying to get to work or otherwise go about their lives. Most of these people didn’t vote for George W. Bush anyway. We will be picking our way through the congestion caused by tighter security, there will likely be bomb-sniffing dogs on the Metro and extra snipers situated around the festivities. Streets will be cordoned off for the parade and accompanying protests. We will experience higher-than-normal levels of commute frustration as traffic, security measures, and tourons will be at their highest level in 4 years. So don’t feel that you have to add to the confusion by trying to block streets that haven’t already been cordoned off for your safety, obstruct people from passing on sidewalks, screaming at passers-by, or otherwise making a nuisance of yourself.

You see, the seat of US national government is also our home. So don’t crap on our couch, okay?

Love,
Tiff

(Originally posted to Quibbling.net)

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Council Chairman Linda Cropp stunned Mayor Williams with a late amendment to change the requirements for funding to include a requirement for 50% private funding for the new baseball stadium.

This does, however, jeopardize MLB’s return to the District. The deal that MLB had with the Mayor was for a new stadium, built with public funds, in the District. Now, it appears, that deal is off. What this means for the Nationals, I don’t know. But it does mean I’ll be snapping up a couple extra hats for when the team is moved away from DC shortly hereafter thanks to the assholatry of the DC Council

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Washington Dulles, a bizarre concoction of an airport, provides this town with the majority of its international travel, and according to a columnist from the Financial Times, “an airport in chaos – think Calcutta, Nairobi or any other erstwhile Third World hell hole, where to get on or off a flight was often an achievement in itself, and you have Dulles. ”

I could not agree more!

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

My Nationals hat arrived today.

Awesome!

How many days til Pitchers and Catchers report?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs